Reproduction of the original hair

ABSTRACT

A method of making a hairpiece or toupee. A portion of a mold corresponding to the shape of a wearer&#39;&#39;s head is coated with a layer of liquid elastomeric material which hardens on exposure to air. A plurality of hairs is implanted into the elastomeric material while it is in a liquid state and the material is allowed to harden in order to secure the implanted hairs therewithin. In order to manufacture a complete hairpiece, these steps are repeated successively so that eventually the entire mold is covered. The elastomeric material is preferably latex and the coating applied is about 6 mils thick. This invention relates to a method of manufacturing hairpieces or toupees.

[ July 29, 1975 Clark REPRODUCTION OF THE ORIGINAL HAIR [76] Inventor: June G. Clark, 11 N. Park St.,

Belleville, Ontario, Canada [22] Filed: Mar. 8, 1974 [21] Appl. No.: 449,538

[52] U.S. Cl. 132/5 [51] Int. Cl. A41g 3/00 [58] Field of Search 132/5, 53, 54, 7

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 737,780 9/1903 Schubbert 132/53 2,079,256 5/1937 Kaiser 132/53 2,812,768 11/1957 Giuliano 132/5 2,907,334 10/1959 Le Mole 132/5 3,483,875 12/1969 Trissell 132/5 Primary Examiner-G. E. McNeill [57] ABSTRACT A method of making a hairpiece or toupee. A portion of a mold corresponding to the shape of a wearers head is coated with a layer of liquid elastomeric material which hardens on exposure to air. A plurality of hairs is implanted into the elastomeric material while it is in a liquid state and the material is allowed to harden in order to secure the implanted hairs therewithin. In order to manufacture a complete hairpiece, these steps are repeated successively so that eventually the entire mold is covered. The elastomeric material is preferably latex and the coating applied is about 6 mils thick.

This invention relates to a method of manufacturing hairpieces or toupees.

12 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures REPRODUCTION OF THE ORIGINAL HAIR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION In the art of making toupees or hairpieces, it is known to tie individual hairs to a mesh or silk scalp piece, sometimes known as an atamine. This technique has been refined since the advent of the commerical use of modern plastics. Canadian Pat. No. 640,457 granted to Gerald M. LeMole on May 1st, 1962 discloses a hairpiece made by applying a piece of net material or atamine to an appropriately contoured mold and then coating the outer surface of the atamine with a layer of plastic. Once the plastic has been heat cured, hair is woven into the atamine by utilizing a special needle to penetrate the layer of plastic and withdraw a thread of the atamine material through the layer of plastic to form a loop projecting above the plastic surface. A strand of hair is then knotted to the loop using a weavers knot. When the knot has been tied and the strand of hair released, the loop of thread withdraws through the plastic layer drawing the knotted portion of the hair with it and leaving the remaining portions of the strand of hair protruding through the plastic layer. When the requisite area has been woven with hair in such a manner, the inner surface of the atamine is then coated with the same plastic to cover the protruding knots of hair and provide a smooth inner surface. Then, after the further step of heat curing the inner plastic coating, the hairpiece is cut to shape and applied by an adhesive to the wearers head.

US. Pat. No. 3,420,429 granted to David C. Bonham on Jan. 7th, 1969 discloses a hairpiece in the manufacture of which a base layer of silicone rubber is applied to a mold corresponding to the shape of the wearers head, and then allowed to dry. Next, a second layer of rubber is placed over the first layer and while still wet, a piece of mesh material is carefully worked into it so that when the second layer sets the mesh will be bonded to the first layer of rubber. Further layers of mesh and/or rubber may then be added. Once the rubber is thoroughly dried, it is placed on a rubber block. An operator then takes strands of hair and, using specially adapted equipment which has a reciprocating blunt needle, punches individual hairs through the rubber scalp piece and into the block. After a sufficient number of hairs have been inserted the scalp piece is removed from the block, the block thereby tending to draw the hairs further through the scalp piece due to the frictional grip between the rubber block and the hairs which have penetrated into it. Once the hairpiece has been removed, the hairs are trimmed on the other side of the scalp piece, and a coating of epoxy sealant is applied to the under side. The hairpiece is replaced on the mold and when the epoxy dries it secures the hairs to the under side of the scalp piece.

As exemplified by both of the above references, prior hairpieces of this nature have required the creation of an atamine which is imgregnated with cured elastomeric material before individual strands of hair may be secured thereto. This means that the time required to manufacture the hairpiece may be fairly lengthy and in addition the previous methods require the use of specialized tools in order to aid in the implanting of the individual hairs.

Accordingly, it is an object of my invention to provide a method of manufacturing a hairpiece or toupee which takes only a short period of time as compared to previously known methods and which is simple and straightforward to carry out.

It is a further object of my invention to provide a method which does not require the use of specialized tools in order to aid in the implanting of the individual hairs.

In addition, the method of the present invention provides a hairpiece which is easily washable, easily repaired in the event of damage, and easily extended or reshaped in order to overcome changes in the hair growth pattern of the wearer or to vary the style of the hairpiece.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to the method of making a hairpiece of the present invention, a portion of a mold corresponding to the shape of the wearers head is coated with a layer of liquid elastomeric material which hardens on exposure to air. A plurality of hairs is then inserted all at the same time into the elastomeric material while it is in a liquid state, repeating the inserting of a plurality of hairs a number of times until the desired area is covered with hair; and. and the material is allowed to harden in order to secure the implanted hairs therein.

The area which is to be ultimately covered by the hairpiece can first be outlined on the above-mentioned mold. Preferably, before a bundle of hairs is implanted into the material, one end of the bundle is evened off and the bundle is spread out flat. When the hairs are inserted into the material, it is preferable to arrange them at an angle at which the hair would normally lie. The process is repeated as often as may be necessary in order to obtain complete coverage of the outlined area on the mold.

After the outlined area on the mold has been completely covered with implanted hair as described above, the elastomeric material is allowed to cure at which point hair may be trimmed and the hairpiece is ready for use.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Some preferred forms of the method of the present invention will now be'described, by way of example, with reference to the accompanying drawings in which like numerals refer to like parts and wherein:

FIG. 1 illustrates the application of liquid latex to a mold and the initial implantation of hair into the liquid latex;

FIG. 2 is a cross section of the mold and hairpiece illustrating the method by which hairs are inserted in the latex;

FIG. 3 illustrates the method of enlarging the original hairpiece to cover a subsequent expansion of the original bald spot; and

FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view of a protective hairpiece described herein.

To manufacture the hairpiece according to the invention a mold 1 which corresponds to the shape of the wearers head is made and the area to be covered is outlined on the mold as shown at 2. A coating of liquid latex 3 is then applied to a segment of the outlined portion 2 of the mold l. A coating approximately 6 mils in thickness has been found to be satisfactory. While the latex 3 is still liquid, approximately 50 to strands of hair 4, depending upon the density of hair desired in the hairpiece, are gathered and their ends are evened off, spread out flat and then inserted into the latex. The

hair 4 is then adjusted to lie in the same position as hair would naturally lie. FIG. 1 shows a first layer of hair 4 inserted into the latex 3 in such a manner. This step is repeated until the latex has been completely implanted with hair 4.

The size of each segment of the mold to which liquid latex is applied is determined by the drying time of the particular brand of latex. The area of the segment should be no larger than can be completely implanted within the drying time. Steeltex (trade mark) made by Continental Chemical Company, a brand ofliquid latex which has been satisfactory for such uses, has a drying time of about minutes.

As may best be seen in FIG. 2, the hairs 4 are implanted in the latex 3 in the direction that the hair would normally protrude from the scalp.

As each latex coated segment 3 is completely implanted with hair 4, another segment is coated with latex and the hair is implanted in it by the method outlined above until the entire area within the boundary of line 2 is covered with hair. The hairpiece is then allowed to cure in air for a period of up to 24 hours. It may be fitted, trimmed and cut to suit the individual.

The present invention is not limited to the manufacture of a hairpiece to cover an entire bald head, but may be used to manufacture a hairpiece to cover an area of partial baldness or to cover a scar or area of temporary loss of hair. As in the manufacture of a hairpiece for total baldness, a mold corresponding to the shape of the wearers head is made and the area of partial baldness outlined upon it. That area is then covered in stages by latex, with hairs being implanted at each stage of the latex application. After curing, the hairpiece may be trimmed to the exact shape of the bald spot and attached with adhesive tape or eyelash adhesive.

If, at a future date, the area of baldness should increase or hair styles change, the original hairpiece may be trimmed or, if necessary, extended. FIG. 3 shows the original hairpiece 11 and a new portion of hairpiece 12 to extend the original. A portion 13 of the extension hairpiece is intentionally left devoid of hair so that it may be attached to the smooth underside 14 of the original hairpiece by a suitable adhesive. In this manner areas of increasing baldness may be covered without the expense of an entirely new hairpiece, and in periods of changing hair styles, hair such as sideburns may be extended.

If desired, the latex may be pigmented to match the color of the wearers skin.

Not only may this method be used to manufacture hairpieces which will cover scars or complete or partial baldness, but it may also be used to manufacture colored streaks for temporary or cosmetic purposes or even to manufacture realistic hairpieces for dolls or other animal toys.

The method of present invention readily lends itself to the manufacture of protective hairpieces which can be worn, for exampe, by persons who have undergone brain surgery resulting in the removal of a portion of the skull. In such cases it is desirable that the hole left in the skull after surgery be protected and it is also common that at least temporarily the patient requires in addition a hairpiece. Such a protective hairpiece is manufactured in exactly the same manner as the hairpieces already described except that the hairpiece has embedded in it a lightweight protective shield made for example of fiberglass.

Assuming that a protective hairpiece is required to cover the hole in the skull of a person who has undergone brain surgery, the steps in manufacturing the protective hairpiece are as follows.

A mold is made of the patients head such as illustrated in FIG. 1 and the area corresponding to location of the incision in the patients head is marked thereon. A layer of fiberglass mixture 18 which has not yet hardened is then applied to the mold 1 so as to overlie the location of the incision so that in use it will rest upon the bone surrounding the area to be covered. After the protective shield 18 has hardened and has become a tough, rigid shield, it is trimmed if necessary and a layer 3a of liquid latex is applied to the underside thereof. The layer 3a can be applied to the bottom of the shield by first removing the hardened fiberglass shield from the mold and applying the latex directly to the mold so that it covers the same area as was covered by the shield plus a surrounding border of approximately V2 to 1 inch in width. Before this layer has time to dry, the shield is placed on top of it and the latex is allowed to dry. The liquid latex 3 is applied to the top of the shield and hairs 4 are implanted therein in exactly the same manner as previously described.

It will thus be seen that I have provided an alternative to the cumbersome and unsightly protective helmets which are often required to be worn by persons who have undergone surgical brain operations.

Thus it is apparent that there has been provided, in accordance with the invention, a method of manufacturing a hairpiece or toupee that fully satisfies the objects, aims and advantages set forth above. While the invention has been described in conjunction with specific forms thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modifications, and variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the foregoing description. Accordingly, it is intended to embrace all such alterna tives. modifications and variations as follows in the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.

What I claims as my invention is:

l. A method of making a hairpiece for the top of a wearers head comprising: coating a portion of a mold corresponding to the shape of a wearers head with a single layer of liquid elastomeric material which hardens on exposure to air; inserting a plurality of hairs all at the same time into said elastomeric material while it is in a liquid state; repeating the inserting of a plurality of hairs a number of times until a desired area is covered with hair; and allowing said elastomeric material to harden in order to secure the implanted hairs therewithin.

2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said elastomeric material is latex.

3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mold comprises a rigid protective shield and said elastomeric material is also applied to the underside of said shield so as to embed the shield within the hairpiece.

4. A method as claimed in claim I including evening off said plurality of hairs at one end thereof and spreading out flat said plurality of hairs before implanting the hairs into the elastomeric material.

5. A method of making a hairpiece according to claim 1 wherein the implanted hairs do not extend through the bottom of said layer of material, the implanted ends of the hairs being embedded in said layer of material.

6. A method of making a hairpiece according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of hairs are implanted manually and without the use of tools.

7. A method of making a hairpiece according to claim 1 including the steps of evening off a plurality of hairs at one end so that the ends of the hairs are aligned and flattening the aligned hairs before implanting the hairs into said elastomeric material.

8. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the thickness of said latex coating is about 6 mils.

9. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein said shield is formed or lightweight fiberglass and is shaped to cover a weak spot in the wearers head as well as immediately adjacent underlying bone structure.

10. A method as claimed in claim 4 including initially outlining the area of the wearers head to be covered on said mold and wherein said portion is part of said outlined area.

11. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the size of said portion of said mold is limited by the number of hairs required to be implanted in said layer before hardening of said layer occurs and the amount of time required to implant said number of hairs.

12. A method as claimed in claim 3 including evening off said plurality of hairs at one end thereof and spreading out flat said plurality of hairs before implanting the hairs into the elastomeric material. 

1. A method of making a hairpiece for the top of a wearer''s head comprising: coating a portion of a mold corresponding to the shape of a wearer''s head with a single layer of liquid elastomeric material which hardens on exposure to air; inserting a plurality of hairs all at the same time into said elastomeric material while it is in a liquid state; repeating the inserting of a plurality of hairs a number of times until a desired area is covered with hair; and allowing said elastomeric material to harden in order to secure the implanted hairs therewithin.
 2. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said elastomeric material is latex.
 3. A method as claimed in claim 1 wherein said mold comprises a rigid protective shield and said elastomeric material is also applied to the underside of said shield so as to embed the shield within the hairpiece.
 4. A method as claimed in claim 1 including evening off said plurality of hairs at one end thereof and spreading out flat said plurality of hairs before implanting the hairs into the elastomeric material.
 5. A method of making a hairpiece according to claim 1 wherein the implanted hairs do not extend through the bottom of said layer of material, the implanted ends of the hairs being embedded in said layer of material.
 6. A method of making a hairpiece according to claim 1 wherein said plurality of hairs are implanted manually and without the use of tools.
 7. A method of making a hairpiece according to claim 1 including the steps of evening off a plurality of hairs at one end so that the ends of the hairs are aligned and flattening the aligned hairs before implanting the hairs into said elastomeric material.
 8. A method as claimed in claim 2 wherein the thickness of said latex coating is about 6 mils.
 9. A method as claimed in claim 3 wherein said shield is formed or lightweight fiberglass and is shaped to cover a weak spot in the wearer''s head as well as immediately adjacent underlying bone structure.
 10. A method as claimed in claim 4 including initially outlining the area of the wearer''s head to be covered on said mold and wherein said portion is part of said outlined area.
 11. A method as claimed in claim 4 wherein the size of said portion of said mold is limited by the number of hairs required to be implanted in said layer before hardening of said layer occurs and the amount of time required to implant said number of hairs.
 12. A method as claimed in claim 3 including evening off said plurality of hairs at one end thereof and spreading out flat said plurality of Hairs before implanting the hairs into the elastomeric material. 